IBM Power Systems performance benchmarks

Including performance benchmarks for Power servers, System p, and System i

IBM Power™ Systems, built on an open server platform, are designed for a new era of big data, analytics, and cloud, managing social and mobile computing and the explosion of data generated each day — all while offering outstanding performance. In fact, IBM Power Systems took the lead in over 100 key computing performance benchmarks. But don't take our word for it. Read the results below.

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LINPACK

Measures how fast a dedicated system can solve a dense system of linear equations as a means of determining the floating-point performance of the system. It is used to gauge effectiveness for high performance and technical computing.

A 1-core IBM Power 570 (5 GHz) is the best 1-core HPC result (17.47 Gigaflop/sec).

A 4-core IBM Power 520 (4.7 GHz) is the best 4-core HPC result (65.01 Gigaflop/sec).

A 4-core IBM Power 520 (4.7 GHz) is the best 4-core Linux RISC SMP HPC result (64.42 Gigaflop/sec).

An 8-core IBM Power 550 (5 GHz) is the best 8-core HPC result (137.6 Gigaflop/sec).

An 8-core IBM Power 550 (5 GHz) is the best 8-core Linux RISC SMP HPC result (137.1 Gigaflop/sec).

A 12-core IBM Power 730 (3.72 GHz) is the best 12-core HPC result (335.2 Gigaflop/sec).

A 16-core IBM Power 740 (4.2 GHz, POWER7+) is the best 16-core HPC result (517.1 Gigaflop/sec).

A 16-core IBM Power 740 (4.2 GHz, POWER7+) is the best 16-core Linux HPC result (508.5 Gigaflop/sec).

A 32-core IBM Power 750 (4.0 GHz, POWER7+) is the best 32-core HPC result (984.5 Gigaflop/sec).

A 32-core IBM Power 750 (4.0 GHz, POWER7+) is the best 32-core Linux HPC result (980.2 Gigaflop/sec).

A 48-core IBM Power 770 (4.228 GHz, POWER7+) is the best 48-core HPC result (1,482 Gigaflop/sec).

A 48-core IBM Power 760 (3.4 GHz, POWER7+) is the best 48-core Linux HPC result (1,259 Gigaflop/sec).

A 64-core IBM Power 770 (3.808 GHz, POWER7+) is the best 64-core Linux HPC result (1,948 Gigaflop/sec).

A 64-core IBM Power 780 (4.424 GHz, POWER7+) is the best 64-core HPC result (2,012 Gigaflop/sec).

A 96-core IBM Power 780 (3.44 GHz) is the best 96-core HPC result (2512 Gigaflop/sec, Linux).

A 128-core IBM Power 795 (4.25 GHz) is the best 128-core HPC result (3,784 Gigaflop/sec, Linux).

A 256-core IBM Power 795 (4.00 GHz) is the best 256-core HPC result (6,902 Gigaflop/sec, Linux).

SPECOMPM2001

Measures a system's parallel processing capabilities for medium problem sizes using a suite of applications based on the OpenMP standards for shared-memory parallel processing. It is used to gauge effectiveness for high performance and technical computing.

SPECOMPL2001

Measures a system's parallel processing capabilities for large problem sizes using a suite of applications based on the OpenMP standards for shared-memory parallel processing. It is used to gauge effectiveness for high performance and technical computing.

A 32-core IBM Power 750 Express (3.55 GHz) is the best 32-core (4 chips, 128 threads) result (773,674 SPECompLpeak2001, Linux).

A 64-core IBM Power 770 (3.808 GHz, POWER7+) is the best 64-core (16 chips, 256 threads) result (1,964,055 SPECompLpeak2001, Linux).

NAMD V2.7b1

NAMD is a parallel molecular dynamics code designed for high-performance simulation of large biomolecular systems. NAMD was designed to run efficiently on such parallel machines for simulating large molecules. Based on Charm++ parallel objects, NAMD is a simulation engine implementing the molecular dynamics algorithm as applied to biomolecular system with higher optimization and efficiency. NAMD was developed by the Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group in the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

A 1-core IBM Power 755 (3.30 GHz) is the best 1-core system (0.7195 seconds per apoA1 step, 2.2502 seconds per f1 ATPase step).

A 2-core IBM Power 755 (3.30 GHz) is the best 2-core system (0.3567 seconds per apoA1 step, 1.1254 seconds per f1 ATPase step, 3.9473 seconds per STMV step).

An 4-core IBM Power 755 (3.30 GHz) is the best 4-core system (0.1822 seconds per apoA1 step, 0.5733 seconds per f1 ATPase step, 1.9566 seconds per STMV step).

An 8-core IBM Power 755 (3.30 GHz) is the best 8-core system (0.0943 seconds per apoA1 step, 0.2906 seconds per f1 ATPase step, 0.9975 seconds per STMV step).

A 16-core IBM Power 755 (3.30 GHz) is the best 16-core system (0.0473 seconds per apoA1 step, 0.1485 seconds per f1 ATPase step, 0.5069 seconds per STMV step).

A 32-core IBM Power 755 (3.30 GHz) is the best 32-core system (0.0249 seconds per apoA1 step, 0.742 seconds per f1 ATPase step, 0.2516 seconds per STMV step).

A 64-core IBM Power 755 cluster (3.30 GHz) is the best 64-core system (0.0135 seconds per apoA1 step, 0.0379 seconds per f1 ATPase step, 0.1287 seconds per STMV step).

A 128-core IBM Power 755 cluster (3.30 GHz) is the best 128-core system (0.0070 seconds per apoA1 step, 0.0196 seconds per f1 ATPase step, 0.0665 seconds per STMV step).

SIMULIA

Abaqus is SIMULIA's flagship product and provides a comprehensive, general-purpose finite element analysis tool that includes a variety of time and frequency-domain analysis procedures. A lower number indicates faster performance.

CD-adapco - STAR-CD Versions 3.20

STAR-CD is a general purpose, unstructured grid, finite volume CFD application. It is efficiently programmed and highly parallel using the MPI communication protocol. STAR-CD is able to solve steady state or time dependent problems with the optional solution of moving grids, thermal transport, chemical reactions, multiphase fluids, and species concentrations. A lower number indicates a faster result.

A 1-core IBM System p5 575 (2.2 GHz) is the best 1-core system (A-Class model: 3,830 seconds, Large A-Class model: 35,635 seconds).

A 2-core IBM System p5 575 (2.2 GHz) is the best 2-core system (A-Class model: 1,885 seconds, Large A-Class model: 18,807 seconds).

MM5 Weather Model

The PSU/NCAR mesoscale model (known as MM5) is a limited-area, nonhydrostatic, terrain-following sigma-coordinate model designed to simulate or predict mesoscale atmospheric circulation. The model is supported by several pre- and post-processing programs, which are referred to collectively as the MM5 modeling system. A higher number indicates a faster result.

MM5 Version 3.6 (Standard)

A 1-core IBM System p5 575 (2.2 GHz) is the best 1-core system (1.62 Gigaflop/sec).

A 2-core IBM System p5 575 (2.2 GHz) is the best 2-core system (3.22 Gigaflop/sec).

A 4-core IBM System p5 575 (2.2 GHz) is the best 4-core system (6.23 Gigaflop/sec).

An 8-core IBM System p5 575 (2.2 GHz) is the best 8-core system (11.89 Gigaflop/sec).

A 16-core IBM System p5 575 (2.2 GHz) is the best 8-core system (22.90 Gigaflop/sec).

A 32-core IBM System p5 575 (2.2 GHz) is the best 8-core system (41.17 Gigaflop/sec).

A 64-core IBM System p5 575 (2.2 GHz) is the best 8-core system (68.56 Gigaflop/sec).

MM5 Version 3.6.2 (Optimized)

A 1-core IBM System p5 575 (2.2 GHz) is the best 1-core system (2.33 Gigaflop/sec).

A 2-core IBM System p5 575 (2.2 GHz) is the best 2-core system (4.51 Gigaflop/sec).

A 4-core IBM System p5 575 (2.2 GHz) is the best 4-core system (8.91 Gigaflop/sec).

An 8-core IBM System p5 575 (2.2 GHz) is the best 8-core system (17.05 Gigaflop/sec).

A 16-core IBM System p5 575 (2.2 GHz) is the best 16-core system (31.68 Gigaflop/sec).

A 32-core IBM System p5 575 (2.2 GHz) is the best 32-core system (55.18 Gigaflop/sec).

A 64-core IBM System p5 575 (2.2 GHz) is the best 64-core system (86.20 Gigaflop/sec).

All benchmark claims are based on published information as of April 25, 2014. POWER8 results submitted as of April 28, 2014.

IBM, the e-business logo, eServer, the eServer logo, AIX, AIX 5L, DB2, DB2 Universal Database, Domino, IBM Virtualization Engine, Micro-Partitioning, OpenPower, Power Architecture, POWER, POWER5, POWER5+, POWER6, POWER6+, POWER7, POWER7+, POWER8, Power Systems, System p and System p5 are trademarks or registered trademarks of the International Business Machines Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Other company, product and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.

UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group in the United States and other countries.

Browse Power Systems

Next generation applications for big data and analytics and cognitive computing are providing unprecedented insights into opportunities, threats and efficiencies. IBM Power Systems is at the forefront of delivering solutions to gain faster insights from analyzing both structured information and unstructured big data. With the secure, flexible and open platform of IBM Power Systems plus solutions and software, organizations can outpace their competitors by delivering faster services, providing differentiated offerings and turning operational cost into investment opportunity.

Next generation applications for big data and analytics and cognitive computing are providing unprecedented insights into opportunities, threats and efficiencies. IBM Power Systems is at the forefront of delivering solutions to gain faster insights from analyzing both structured information and unstructured big data. With the secure, flexible and open platform of IBM Power Systems plus solutions and software, organizations can outpace their competitors by delivering faster services, providing differentiated offerings and turning operational cost into investment opportunity.

To draw insights and make better decisions, businesses rely on the secure, flexible and open platform of IBM Power Systems. Built with the first processor designed for big data workloads, the design of Power Systems combines the computing power, memory bandwidth and I/O in ways that are easier to consume and manage, building on strong resiliency, availability and security.

To draw insights and make better decisions, businesses rely on the secure, flexible and open platform of IBM Power Systems. Built with the first processor designed for big data workloads, the design of Power Systems combines the computing power, memory bandwidth and I/O in ways that are easier to consume and manage, building on strong resiliency, availability and security.

IBM Power Systems deliver flexibility and choice of operating systems to enable your business to support the next generation applications for big data and analytics and cognitive computing that are transforming how organizations work today. Whether running 1, 2, or all 3 - coupled with PowerVM, they maximize the benefit of Power Systems in your business.

IBM Power Systems deliver flexibility and choice of operating systems to enable your business to support the next generation applications for big data and analytics and cognitive computing that are transforming how organizations work today. Whether running 1, 2, or all 3 - coupled with PowerVM, they maximize the benefit of Power Systems in your business.

Transform your business with Systems Software that enables virtualization, high availability, flexibility, security and compliance on Power Systems™. IBM’s integrated approach to developing Systems and Systems Software together delivers optimized results with Power Systems.

Transform your business with Systems Software that enables virtualization, high availability, flexibility, security and compliance on Power Systems™. IBM’s integrated approach to developing Systems and Systems Software together delivers optimized results with Power Systems.

As an open innovation platform, Power Systems is optimized for big data and analytics performance and to deliver scale-out economics and security for the cloud. IBM and IBM Business Partner solutions exploit key capabilities in IBM Power Systems.

As an open innovation platform, Power Systems is optimized for big data and analytics performance and to deliver scale-out economics and security for the cloud. IBM and IBM Business Partner solutions exploit key capabilities in IBM Power Systems.

Over the last five years thousands of clients have migrated to IBM Power Systems for choice and flexibility. Learn how Power Systems has helped them revolutionize the way IT is developed and delivered, optimize for big data and analytics, and support private, public and hybrid offerings for scale-out or scale-up implementations all while improving business performance, reducing risk, and establishing a platform for growth.

Over the last five years thousands of clients have migrated to IBM Power Systems for choice and flexibility. Learn how Power Systems has helped them revolutionize the way IT is developed and delivered, optimize for big data and analytics, and support private, public and hybrid offerings for scale-out or scale-up implementations all while improving business performance, reducing risk, and establishing a platform for growth.